Surfcasting equipment today is not your father's rod and reel. Surfcasting is fishing on steroids. Fans are drawn, no, addicted to, the adrenaline rush that comes from fighting high, crashing waves, maintaining your balance on slippery and rocky terrain, and struggling to see under cover of darkness. This sport is not for the faint of heart. Surfcasters must be willing to risk life and limb for this adventure, sometimes at the expense of time with family and friends.
Surfcasting is done entirely standing up, either at the shoreline, or, by the hardcore, chest-deep in the water. Access to in-shore fish is limited only by the length of the rod, the tide and the height of the fisherman. Surfcasting rods are therefore at least twice as long as conventional boat or pier rods, and require the use of both hands, for that much more casting power.
Most popular in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, surfcasting has spread across the country, even to the west coast, Great Lakes and Canada. Anywhere there is a beach and waves, you can surfcast. Not surprisingly, it is a messy, wet and fickle enterprise. Much specialized equipment and clothing is necessary for comfort, safety and for fishing success.
Different types of fish are attracted to different lures, and surfcasters must have a numerous variety of lures at the ready to hook any one of the types of fish on a moment's notice. Synthetic lures called bucktail jigs and plugs look like miniature fish and come in infinite shape, size and colors. Fresh bait is also used, from pork rinds to eel to squid. Pork rinds in particular are so popular and widespread as to have become commodities in their own right packaged in standardized containers (“pork rind jars”).
Clothing, shoes and equipment must be rugged enough to stand up not only to water, but to the salt in the water. Because surfcasters often spend hours off shore, they must carry all of their supplies on their person. Running back to the car is just not an option. Dedicated surfcasters depend on compact, yet lightweight, bags to organize, carry, and access their gear, all while being pelted with waves. The bag must resist not only salt water, but also the barbs of fish hooks and the points of knives. It must free the hands as much as possible.
An entire industry of surfcasting bags has developed to satisfy these needs. Prior art bags have multiple carrying options. Some models are carried over the shoulder as a camera bag. Others are worn about the waist, like a fanny pack or utility belt. Both comprise permanent and integral storage options, such as custom pockets sewn on an exterior surface, and rigid plastic tubes glued to the inside and enclosed with a flap. Yet other variations have detachable storage options, typically using metal or plastic carabiners. However, none have addressed the need for even more individualized storage options. None have made the interchanging of accessories as elegant and error-free, especially in the water, as I have here.
I have created a completely customizable surfcasting bag system. What sets this bag apart from all others is its built-in and interchangeable storage units that move seamlessly back and forth between a main bag base, a waist belt loop base, and a shoulder strap base, all with a simple twist-on, twist-off motion. The twisting lock is accompanied by a secondary, safety latching lock, making it impossible for the bags to spontaneously fall off. My system allows the fisherman to carry only and exactly what they need for a specific excursion, or to catch a particular species of fish. It eliminates the need to fiddle with tiny carabiner prongs with cold and wet hands. My fasteners operate as smoothly with wet gloves as they do with dry fingers.